The OnePlus Watch 2R is a robust and affordable Android smartwatch

OnePlus’ third smartwatch is more of a refinement of the OnePlus Watch 2, which was released earlier this year. For the most part, it’s a nice supplement to the company’s lineup, but it does have a few issues.

The OnePlus Watch 2R is cheaper than the OnePlus Watch 2 because it has a less durable display, an aluminum case, and a slightly dimmer display. However, in terms of smartwatch specs, it’s just as capable as the previous watch and has many positive similarities, like the same 50-metre water resistance rating and multi-day battery life.

I’ve used the watch for two weeks, and while it might not be the best smartwatch on the market, it more than lives up to its price tag and, dare I say, is one of the better options for Android users.

Design

I will start with design because that’s the biggest contradiction with my unit, ‘Forest Green.’ The aluminum chassis is quite nice, making the watch light and comfortable despite its large 46mm screen.

On the front, there’s a nice screen, but there’s a green and white bezel to emulate a real watch that looks okay. However, when you realize that it barely matches any of the watch faces, it gets annoying. I think the black version looks a lot better and matches with more things. However, I am worried about the black colour potentially chipping off the aluminum on that watch.

The bands themselves are comfortable, but you can put on any band you want since it works on a regular 22mm watch band system. I used the default rubber band for most of my time with the watch, and while I was skeptical at the beginning because it came with a tag that said it might irritate the skin, I found it to be surprisingly comfy. After that, I used one of my old Velcro bands, and while it didn’t quite fit my wrist perfectly, it was really easy to replace the default option.

Overall, when I glance down at the OnePlus Watch 2R on my wrist, I like it, but the more I look closely, I get annoyed that I can never really use it with a red watch strap, for example, because it won’t match the green bezel. That being said, if you like the look of the watch in photos, you’ll find it easy to fall in love with it on your wrist.

How smart is this watch?

Like the OnePlus Watch 2, the 2R uses the company’s dual-chip/OS system to help give users a long battery life. In practice, you barely notice that the main screen isn’t running Wear OS, and the battery life is really good.

I could quickly wear the watch for three to four days without it dying, and that’s with the always-on display active. You can prolong it even more by disabling the AOD and a few other features, but using it full-out gave me more than enough battery life.

The other feature I like a lot on smartwatches is automatic workout tracking. It works to some degree on the OnePlus Watch 2R, but I was never really able to trust it fully. Like the Samsung watch I tested before, it’s pretty good at tracking walking and running automatically, but it doesn’t seem to get bike rides. That said, you can set up various quick-access screens on the watch, so I created one for my most recent workouts.

When you do track a workout, the watch gives you a really robust breakdown of all your stats, and I actually really like the design and look of this page, even if it is a bit complex and most of the metrics go over my head. Some workouts like running also have a ton of info, which should help beginner runners learn more about the sport and their form. When it comes to data tracking, the watch is pretty good and will put you on the right track, but if you really care about having super-accurate metrics, I would recommend looking at something from Garmin.

Moving past the workout tracking, I like the software setup on OnePlus watches. Swipe up for notifications, down for quick actions and left/right for your custom tiles. It’s all relatively straightforward, and you simply swipe in from the left edge or hit the top button to get back to the clock screen. If you’re already on the clock, that button opens the app drawer instead. The bottom button can be customized to quickly open an app. Both buttons can also have their double press function customized, so I have one to open Google Wallet and another for Assitant.

It’s a smart system for navigating a smartwatch and it works mostly because it’s so simple. I wish there was a more robust multitasking option, but being able to double press the top button to skip back to my most recently opened app has worked pretty well since most of the multi-tasking I do on my watch revolves around using two apps.